Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-12-10
HARPER'S STORY
A Sweeping Denial of the
other Testimony.
POSITION OF THE FIDELITY.
He Says That its Funds We're Not
Used in Operating the Chi
cagO Wheat Deal.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD

proved to he the most important DAY
in the II trper trial. Harper testified
in his own behalf and stated unre-
servedly that he never gave an order
Of any kind to ECkert to buy grain for
him in Chicago, and he WAS equally
sweeping and explicit in saying that
he never authorized Wiltshire to buy
grain for him in Chicago or elsewhere.
This is the point OF the whole case
and in direct conflict with the testi-
m my offered by Wiltshire and Eckert.
Witnesses then asked permission to
exllain Wilshire's check for
$40 900 in October, but was stopped
by the Court. He said that it was
not given for the wheat deal but to
pay bonds VIII CHI Wiltshire hvpothe-
Gated without authority. Wilshi e
had mortgaged property Tor $4,000
and explained to him that he did 80 to
make good that sum of money taken
from his fathers tIte and sunk by
him in wheat. He explained also
how he
DISCOUNTED LEWIS NOTE
At Wilshire's suggestion, and after
again denying that dollar of the
banks money or his own went into
the wheat deal. went on to tell OF the
crash, how Wiltshire and Hopkins fol-
lowed him TO BoiIlaii's, where lie
dimes, and with tears in their eyes
begged him to let them have more
money. Hopkins suggested tele-
graphing to the bank in Chicago to
see how much they would take to
carry the deal through, and Hopkins
sent such telegram to the American
Exchange Bank OF Chicago. When
witness returned from dinner he found
a telegram on his desk from that
bank saying that if Wiltshire WIS there
next morning with 100000 it would
be sale. That Was where Kershaw &
Co had their account. He told how
Wiltshire, Hopkins and he talked
the mat er over. Hopkins had
A LETTER OF CRELIT
For 5000 900 and four drafts on the
Chemical Bank OF New York for $780,
ZOO. Wiltshire was afraid to carry the
money lest it be attached, and it was
arranged that Gahr should 90 with
him. Gahr was instructed not to give
up the money without guarantee.
The second note was in cipher and
Harper said it related to the same
sort OF transaction.
The third note he explained hy say
ing that Wiltshire told him he had to
pay for u lot OF wheat On May LIST.
"He wanted me-" said Harper, "to
furnish money for this purpose, and l
refused. advised him to sell May
wheat and buy Ju,e and pay the diff
ference. He asked ne to write a
memorandum telegram to that effect,
saying: Please change that May
wheat 1 have not provided for to
June and July; my principal has de-
cided,' etc, He represented to me
that he war buying largely for Cleve-
land parties, and that is what sup
pose he referred to in the words, my
principal" .... .,s... ...#,., ...
NOT YET SATISFIED.
II seemed like presumption after
the sweeping denial OF Harper that
he had ever in any way ordered Will.
shire to buy wheat for him in Chicago
or elsewhere for his counsel TO hand
him day thr notes bearing the
initials 80. X. ii ." aud ask him to
explain. Ha,ler sad that when
Wiltshire, in March, still owed the
bank and him those large sums, he
insisted on his selling out his wheat
so as to pay his debts. Wiltshire said
that to DO SO safely he should buy
wheat that day to keep up the MAJ ket
and then he could sell out to advan-
tage the next day.
.'He asked my advice" added Har-
per, ''and sail 10 him, Make oHt your
order to buy June wheat. Ii il is al right
I'll 0. X. it Mr.. " ll-hile sent to the
bank this note, Ray ing that he WAS
goin! 10 buy that day $50 600 bushels
OF wheat, and o. KID it. 1t was no
act or account OF mine in any shape
or form. The books OF the bank VIII
show, think, that he paid the bank
u considerable amount If money the
next day. | tad 10 purpose whatever
in This transaction except to get money
for the bank that was owing it by
Wiltshire"
HaRPER BECAME AFFECTED
At this point and went on to say how
he put all his money into the bank to
save it, only TO zee the other directors
walk in and check theirs out. Only
Zimmerman, Of all the directors, oil
tered him any assistance. Then the
cove nment came in, and the end
was reached.
The counsel next asked in detail
whether he had ever ordered any
wheat transactions with various brok-
ers OF Chicago, naming them, and he
returned The same answer. In Feb
ruary, 1887. he had u conversation
with Hopkins about the Irwin, Green
q Co. matter, and told him that he
thought it was dishonest. About the
$2S5, 900 transaction with the Fidelity
Bank he had no knowledge whatever,
until told OF 1t in jail at Dayton,
Hopkins had transactions through
Hoyt with Kershaw Il Co., and he
was buying to hedge against our losses
by Wiltshire.
HOPKINS ACCOUNT.
81 loaned the money to Hopkins"
sail witness, land paid the drafts ior
him, but used my own money ami
never took penny ont OF the banks
funds for tits purpose. Hopkins went
in $50 900 with another broker and J
helped him. This WAS paid back and
the money went into the bank. This
was also hedging operation.
Witness was then examined as to
the assets of Swit's Iron and Steel
Works, the Riverside Rolling Mill
firm Of +. E. Harper & Co. and Of
himself, and 81 d that Ill the transac-
lions of these films with the Fidelity
Bank were legitimate.
Mr.. Blackburn again asked il he
had anything to do with Hopkins
wheat deals through Broker Hoyt.
He answered that lie paid Hopkins
drafts, but he did it to protect the